4 kids die in sweeping Philadelphia row home fire

A woman cries as she walks past Philadelphia firefighters working on burned row homes on Saturday, July 5, 2014, in Philadelphia. A fast-moving fire in southwest Philadelphia early Saturday left four children dead and burned through a number of adjoining homes. (AP Photo/Michael Perez)

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A fast-moving fire raced through a row of two-story homes in southwest Philadelphia early Saturday, killing four children, engulfing at least 10 houses and displacing more than 40 residents, officials said.

The blaze began shortly before 3 a.m. and was brought under control in about an hour, fire officials said. At least eight row homes were completely gutted, leaving behind only charred frames, and four others were injured, authorities said.

Jeff Boone told The Philadelphia Inquirer that he saw a couch on fire on the porch of a house about five doors down from his residence and heard children screaming.

The flames spread across porches so fast, he said, that “it looked like someone had a flamethrower and just shot it all across.”

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He called 911 and bolted out of his house to try to save his neighbors, the 27-year-old Boone said.